Boston Training 2020, week 2. The time when December was brown.

Week two was no problem. Basically as unexciting as one could wish for.

I had a couple treadmill runs, which will continue to be a trend as long as I continue to work until well after dark.

In the theme of discontinuing my habit of leaving speedwork until the last moment, I did 6x400 at 7:48 early in the week. Hey, gotta start somewhere!

I did manage to hit the actual road twice, in the first time in a very long time. Luckily, one of the outdoor days was my "long" run, which (at 8 miles) was not terribly long. However, it should be noted that it was my longest run in a training cycle since September 12th (again with the "you have to (re) start somewhere!)
Currently, the snow levels are almost non existent. The roads are in great shape.
(this will come to an end, there is a foot of snow in the forecast. barf.)

Brown December evening

We did a great hike of Webster, Jackson and Pierce on Boxing Day. The weather was just outstanding (30, no wind, just amazing.) We cruised around the loop in exactly 5 hours. The next day, this caused me to feel like I had run a half marathon. (totally counting this as downhill work!! Not really. But I'm sure it counts for something.)

Well this is nice!!!!

Anyway. That's it from week 2. Pretty standard stuff. Low mileage still, low intensity. I plan to add a reasonable number of miles on this week, not that I have had a month or so of consistent running.

Stats:
Total miles: 22.4
(plus 9 hiking miles) Long run: 8
Coldest Day: Not cold enough to mention, or remember. A few days when it was legit 40. 
Snow: Nope
Random: I'm really delighted in the sub-culture of Vizsla owners. We all get "it." If you have ever found your dog on top of your car, or refrigerator, you get it too. Plus, you really never knew how much "help" you DID NOT have, until you have a a little Vizsla helping you with EVERYTHING. I love her. 

Mt Waumbek: 4k footer #3 of 2019: May 11th

Eric is on Vacation this week, my college age employee has returned for the summer, and THUS we are planning a hiking binge.

We scored a decent day on Saturday, so headed off to conquer Mt Waumbek, another new mountain for all 3 of us.

Parking was straightforward, up a short dirt road that went behind several large, newer looking homes that obviously love the front yard view (all mountain, all direction.) I imagine during winter this parking lot is inaccessible (I checked- it is, but you can park out on the "main" road.) The trail head is very obvious and easy to find. On this day, plenty of parking. Summer? Who knows.

Not hidden

The trail (Starr King Trail) started off muddy, and alternated between wet conditions, and conditions that were rather surprisingly dry given the mess of a winter and spring.

Hi Ellen

The extremely well marked and pleasant trail was clearly a popular destination for early season hikers, and we met several on their decent (we seem to be doing a lot of mid-afternoon hiking due to my work schedule, and late sunset!) We were warned early on about "a lot of snow up top" which didn't worry us, because we had traction (and skills...?)

Nice dry woods with a hidden view

We found the first trace of snow at mile 1.25, and gave up and applied micro spikes at 1.75.

The first signs of snow. Ellie couldn't care less. 

The monorail was narrow in places, but in very good condition. A couple post holes, but we managed to remain upright and unscathed. It was a chilly afternoon, which contributed to the stability.

Post hole proof

This trail might frighten a novice 4k foot hiker, because it is longer than some (7 miles round trip according to The Book. slightly shorter according to GPS.)
HOWEVER.
I would really highly recommend it. The incline is never extreme, and from what we could tell (under some snow) the trail is very forgiving. No fiddly technical bits. No stream or river crossings. All below treeline, so weather is somewhat less of a concern (clearly, one should always be mindful.)

At mile 2.5 you summit Mt. Starr King, which was a nice surprise on this particular day.

Mt Starr King

The sun was out, the view was great, and there is some lovely old stonework which is all that remains of an old cabin. Also, if this was the hike you chose for your first 4k, and had concerns about continuing, this would be a good turnaround point after the reward of a nice view!

I bet it was a fancy cabin

The summit of Waumbek is a mile past Starr King, and doesn't have very much additional incline to handle. (Mostly a rolling trail from this point.)

We certainly did NOT encounter the "lots" of snow that we had been cautioned against, at any point. Actually, rather the opposite. While we kept traction on, for convenience, the trail oscillated between snow and dirt multiple times (and rapidly, see photo below for evidence.)

Confused

Don't get too excited about the summit. You will NOT be standing on the top of the world!

But you can crouch with your dog!

Hike a bit farther (like, 10 steps) and there is a big blowdown that offers some really nice scenery.

This is nice

It was really a pleasant, and quiet day on the mountain, and the nice sunshine kept us happy at the top for a few minutes.

The decent was similar to the climb. User friendly, uncomplicated, decent conditions. Really, a very pleasant hike and one that I would very highly recommend for a first timer (or anyone actually. there is nothing not to like about a pleasant trail!)

So guys. Bottom line- you can not beat this trail if you just want a lovely hike, in a lovely forest, with some nice views. You're not going to get *extreme rock scrambling river crossing technical chaos danger omg omg* But you will have a really fun time. We did.

Done!

Oh, and Ellie missed the final photo because she jumped in the car and went to bed!

I AM NOT TIRED MOMMMMMM

Stats:

Total elevation: 4008 (another squeaker!)

Strava data: (we take this with a grain of salt) 
-elevation climbed: 2,793
-miles covered: 6.83 (book has it at 7+)
-elapsed time: 3:53, which includes breaks. (book: 5) 

Difficulty: Easy due to lack of technical/steep trail, trail well marked, lack of above treeline danger. Nothing fussy about this mountain- not even a river crossing to mess with. At 7ish miles, you clearly need to have spent some time on your feet, and should have hit some smaller mountains before attempting. 

Views: Limited, but two summits equaled two views which was fun

Bugs: None NONE!!!

Dog friendly trail? Absolutely. This is a great trail for the 4 legged friends. 

Boston Marathon Training 2019: Week 13. The clusterfuck

Well. This was not the week I had planned on AT ALL.

Things began well enough. Just a few recovery miles on Monday before I had to bail, and take the puppy to the vet for shots. It was certainly still snowy enough, but it was a pleasant day for a pleasant run.

Still snowy 

I was ready for a big run on Tuesday. The final "major" speed/endurance work, with another round of 3x2 mile reps. Out of all the workouts that I do, this is by FAR the best confidence builder that I can think of (besides the successful long run!)
I stopped by home to grab my running kit, and being in a rush, basically scooped up Ellie when she ran to me. (Yes, I should have made her sit, and wait, and such. AND DO I EVER WISH I HAD.)
The second I lifted her I knew I had done something pretty awful. But you know how sometimes awful can feel less bad after you move a bit? So, I went and ran my repeats despite my concern that I had sustained a painful back injury. And to be honest, the workout was fine. The aftermath was ok. But as I stooped over, post workout,  to remove my tights and socks, the tightness and pain came roaring back in.

FUCK.

Wednesday was a rest day, and a cold day. I figured the cold would be a helpful addition to the ice I was applying (kidding, I know it doesn't work that way) And my assumption was that a rest day would put things right. Even though this was certainly not a running injury, a lower back problem simply can't be helped through running.

Not Spring yet

I was feeling pretty positive at this point. I had a minor back issue in February (not minor the day it happened, but very swiftly resolved) and I was confident that history would go on repeat.

And, to be honest, on Thursday morning I was pretty sure I was correct! I felt decent enough, although there was some lingering tightness in my hips. I assumed that after a day of movement while working, that I would me more than ready for an evening hill workout. Time to get shit done!!

Here is what actually happened.
I knew that prior to my workout, I would be in charge of Ms Ellie for a bit. I was looking forward to this, as she is usually a shining beacon of delight at the end of a long day. As it turned out, she was more a whirling dervish of Sharknado. I had my hands full. Oh, and not to mention that I had COMPLETELY OVERDONE IT at work (like, ALL IN. WTF.) So when Eric was done working, he came downstairs to find me in gales of ugly tears. The puppy had morphed into a lunatic. I had discovered that I was MUCH more seriously wounded than I thought, and I was having a full-on, legit, messy, ugly, meltdown. Nice.

I took half a muscle relaxer (lightweight here) passed out anyway (real lightweight), and awoke on Friday on the fucking hot mess express.

Right. I clearly was not going to run. Or do much (other than a 10 hour work day.) With my recent training feeling so good, and going SO well, (and equestrian season ramping up, and my coach expecting excellence in 10 days when she returns) I was feeling pretty shattered. Lame, right? But I'm human. I want to succeed, not fall down injured.

So what did I do.
I called in professional help.

Trigger point therapy on Saturday, and more to come next week!
This brutal session was well worth it. My therapist regarded me in the manner of a ticking time bomb... "There is a LOT wrong here" he said, after gingerly prodding my amazingly tight hip area. "I can see why you are in pain" "That is NOT bone, it is muscle. Which is so tight it feels like bone." Yeah. Not good. He said a bunch of other stuff, but I was busy yelling and cold sweating.

SEXXXXXXXXY

Prior to my appointment, I had delicately attempted to run (to see where I was at) and it COULD NOT happen. I should have known before I even tried, as it took me 15 minutes to wiggle into my tights and shoes..... I love that I put a 27 second run on Strava! I am fucking hysterical. I honestly can't figure out why I'm not a runner with a sponsor.

NO

The diagnosis: extremely tight hip flexors, glutes, piroformis, quads, and basically nothing wrong in the lower back (except all those asshole muscles pulling it out of whack.)
The next step: incorporating stretching into my day (novel idea) returning to running carefully but as long as things feel ok, it's ok (ok, I can do this) Follow up treatments this week, and Chiro ASAP as my left hip is clearly higher than my right. Sweet.

By Sunday, I could once again put on my own socks. Little victories!

It's not a big deal. UNTIL IT IS. 

This, while poorly timed, is a good wake up call.
I have ignored my back issues for a year. I have had plenty of chances to be proactive, and I have not been. This injury is all on me, but it is a good chance for me to regain control over my proactive care, and make it a priority. It is very easy to react to a problem, as I am doing now. I'm not 25 (or 35) anymore, and if I am going to have both a physically abusive job (THAT sounds worse than it is....) and a physically demanding hobby, I MUST do more to stay healthy!

So. Onward to next week. Having a stellar Boston is still a notion that I can get behind. But most importantly, I need to be smart now so that I am not out for the entire season.

Stats:
Mileage: Shit. 14.7 miles. 1/3 of what I had planned.
Crisis bodywork appointments: 1
Actual sobbing meltdowns: 1 (RARE. SO RARE.)
Times I ran 0.04 miles and stopped: 1 (SMART SO SMART)
Times I was so pissed: MANY. (first world. first world......)

Boston Marathon Training 2019: Week 11

So at this point, we're in the thick of things. This week and next are definitely going to be peak weeks of training.

The good news? I'm feeling good. Stronger. The legs are coming around.

And generally speaking, the weather was far better this week. It was the first week in (I believe) the past 5 months that I have been able to avoid the treadmill entirely.
Which is good. While I am thankful to have the treadmill, I have REALLY not been enjoying it this season.

Last Monday I had a normal recovery run. The roads were a soggy, slushy mess after the 4" of Sunday snow, but it was warm (about 42!!) so out I went. I ran about 3 miles with my puppy, and then finished up on my own. Other than having sopping feet at the end of this, all was well.

Tuesday was technically a rest day, but Ellie, Evan and I went for a snowshoe/hike that was a pretty solid workout. The weather was spectacular, and it was a really enjoyable time, so, TOTALLY worth it.

OMG worth it!!!

Even when I have an "easy" day at work, when you throw in a 3.5 mile hike, your rest day looks like this. Not so restful.

Very restful

Wednesday was the beginning of ALL kinds of hard work.
I finally managed to get my speed work done on the road. This made me happy, because getting off the treadmill is always a good thing. This also made me feel afraid, because I am not terribly good at setting a pace. I was able to pace off Eric last year, because he was running a lot, and he is basically a metronome. This year, I seem to be rolling solo (because Eric is riding his bike, not because he has vanished or something terrible.)

I ran 3x2 mile reps, randomly hoping I could manage the arbitrary 7:36 pace that I seem to be sticking with in 2019.

They came in at 7:45, 7:31, 7:29.
While I'm not going to do the math on this, I would say the average is close enough to 7:36 to just call it good!
I finished this workout as the sun was setting....

And then, well before the sun rose the next day, I was running over Bitch Hill.
In an inch of fresh snow, and icy roads, just to make it extra special.

I'm not a huge fan of running at ass o'clock. On this particular day, there was no choice. So I woke up feeling pretty good about the adventure, and just got it done (just as the sun rose....)
(which made for a very, very tired Thursday...)

Yeah. I don't really look fresh as a daisy here.

The one good thing about completing two runs less than 12 hours apart? I basically felt like I had two rest days. So by Saturday, I was like, super fresh!!

And it was a good thing that I was all rested up by the weekend, because I had a 14 mile run planned, 11 of which were to be at marathon pace.
AGAIN, I'm really not the most confident at pace setting, PLUS my watch is kind of a psycho, and therefore is not really a lot of help. So I was like, ok. I'll warm up for a mile. Run kinda fast for 11. Then run less fast for 2. It was a solid plan!
Well, it turned out well, and was one of the better workouts of this training cycle (coming in at a 7:55 overall pace, which is silly. I will not be running 7:43 pace miles at the marathon, which was my pace for the 11 MP miles...)

Straight to the pub

Anyway. Good, done, went to the pub, saw my dog/husband/dad, the end. It was also 40 and windy AS FUCK which was both good (warm) and annoying (wind.)

Yay!

Sunday was downhill repeat day, which was just fine and not worth talking about. It was warm enough (30) windy (typical) and even though I had run fast the day before my legs felt quite good. Go figure.
The roads are clear. The snowbanks are big. And March is only halfway over, so we could still have Winter's second coming.

Currently...

Stats:

Mileage: 44.6 (plus about 5 miles of hiking which I do not count.)
Long run: 14
Beer at pub: The typical triple/double, plus a random pickle gose that we all had a sip of AGAIN! (I hate to think that I am beginning to enjoy pickle beer!!)
Coldest day: Not terribly cold. it was in the mid 20's on Bitch Hill morning, but that is basically summer
Snow days: We had 4" on Sunday, and another inch on Thursday morning. So basically nothing. 

Boston Marathon Training 2019: Week 10

Well, another week done. While we might be one more week closer to Spring, the weather for most of this week would make you think we were still fully ensconced in winter. MEH.

I feel like this was a good week of training. I'm definitely feeling the motivation that comes along with the LACK of a 2020 BQ. So yeah, watch out bitches. (meaning: don't let my very average training scare you or anything...)

Monday was a snow day, but the temps actually moved in to the 30's, so by late in the day the roads were half way decent. I had a nice easy few miles, and spent a lot of time trying to see over the snowbanks (not happening.)

Ellie thinks the snowbanks are Mt Everest

Tuesday was a good, and hard, workout. 5x1 mile reps, at the all too common 7:36. I fit this in after a very, very busy work day (where I had already been on my feet for over 9 miles, per the phone...) I think this was a good workout to get me ready for some challenges in the upcoming weeks.

Thursday I hit bitch hill again. The snowbanks continue to be ridiculously high. This winter has been as big of a bitch as the hill is. However, it was an excellent workout.

Saturday was 18 to the pub. It was about as nice of a day as we have seen in 200 years (39, sun, light wind.) If I had run earlier in the day, I imagine it would have been quite warm. But, as usual, the shadows were pretty long by the time I was able to leave work, and it was comfortably cool. The icy dirt road had more or less lost its ice, and had turned into a flood.

This was the small flood

Other than the mud, and the flood, it was a good run. My right hip felt a little strange for the final 2 miles (which is weird) but it immediately felt fine.
Plus, it was so warm that I needed ZERO orange hats, and ZERO vests (also, weird.)

Basically no winter clothing

It was a fun reunion at the pub, because Eric, Lee, Ellie AND Evan were waiting for me!!

Ellie was like "nope"

There was another (small) snow storm on Sunday, but after all the melting on Saturday the roads were like death. I had been planning some downhill reps, and attempted to take the workout to the treadmill. Downhill reps are best done outdoors, but one does what one can when conditions are not ideal.

Overall, this was a good week. I'm really shooting for the BQ in Boston, and the only thing that will be out of my control will be the weather. (my head is back in the game for grossness, but I certainly won't have any chance to train in heat.) I'm really trying to hit the hard workouts, I'm keeping an eye on my annoying sesamoiditis, and I'm trying to determine if I can tolerate the blisters that the Hoka 5's keep giving me... (annoying....)

 Stats:

Mileage: 44.3
Long run: 18
Beer at pub: The typical triple/double, plus a random pickle gose that we all had a sip of  (plus a smoked pineapple sour that we all had one sip of! It was a weekend of one sip beers.)
Coldest day: Still SO COLD. It was well below zero on a few days in the morning. It was 19 when I ran on Friday. It was cold, it was windy, it was winter. 
Snow days: Monday was a no school snow day, because there had been 5 inches overnight. However, Monday was actually a properly nice day once the snow quit at 9AM. 

Winter Hiking: Mt Madison, January 6th 2019

Eric and I were not terribly excited when we saw the forecast for our hike last Sunday. It was expected to be a high of 15 degrees, 1-3inches of snow, and winds to 50 MPH.

WE DO NOT WANT A $15 HELI EVAC.

So, we decided that we would mosey on up (knowing that 95% of Madison is below treeline) tag the hut, and get TF out. (or, alternately, we would bail the hell out at any time before then.)

Confusingly, it was about 33 degrees (and snowing a little) when we arrived at the trailhead around 9:00 (omg so late. I may have never seen the trailhead in the daylight!)

There seems to be a snowbank in the way

So, yes. It was a nice mile morning. The wind was NBD and trail conditions looked great. We got our winter gear together, and off we went.

Ready to depart!

Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the snow smoothing out the trails? Because I really do. Winter hiking is pure fucking magic.

OMG LOOK AT THE TRAIL, NO ROCKS!!

We really had to strip down during the first mile- we had prepared for very cold and windy weather and it was anything but. (I mean, it was seriously cloudy and snowing lightly. but plenty warm enough for a winter day.) As we know, no matter how warm it is at the base, you are going to need Death on Mt. Everest attire as soon as you get above treeline, so we were happy to have it.

Down to the base layer, snapping the selfies

One of these days, we will go on a hiking adventure that does not require 300,000 outfit changes. Today was NOT that day (but it gave me time to snap a few pics!)

It occurred to us that we have never begun a hike up Madison in the daylight. It was a really pleasant experience, and it is such a pretty area. It was fun to come to the place on the trail that we normally see the sunrise (and see, what? clouds!)

"We usually see sunrise here! Today, we see clouds." (but it's still pretty.)

Not shockingly, as we gained elevation the temps began to drop. The weather was still solid though- barely any wind, still warm enough (20's) and steady light snow. We felt reasonably well equipped in micro spikes (the warm temps for the first mile caused us to pick up a number of snowballs- which is rather annoying.) There were several spots late in the ascent when we could have done with crampons due to some more significant ice, and the incline.

And, we are bundling back up.

We paused at the Oh Shit sign to really bundle back up. Even though we planned to speed very little time above treeline, we could hear the wind and we didn't like the sound of it. Let me tell you, getting into extra kit basically on the side of the mountain was not an easy feat. One occasionally forgets that the homestretch to get above treeline on Valley Way is basically a straight uphill pain in the ass. We were basically sideways, hauling ass.

STAY AWAY FOOLS!!! YOU GONNA DIE!!

We scurried to the hut. Tagged it's ass. Ran away. (well I paused to talk to a guy coming down from Adams, and he told us about the 90MPH gusts. Ummmm, no?)
It was pretty damn cold, and making the final stretch to the summit held no appeal to either of us. Visibility was pretty shit, and we just don't need to take any extra risks.

Hello Hut

As usual, right below treeline the conditions became more pleasant. Basically delightful.

Scurrying away from the cold

GRRRRRRR. I wrote a really excellent and witty descent half to this story, and it vanished into thin air. Ain't nobody got time.

So, to wrap up:

We saw exactly one bit of blue sky.

And it was lovely. And short lived.

Minus the pesky rocks of summer it was easy peasey, we faffed around while going down. Had snacks. Took layers on and off. Took photos.

Eric had beardcicles 

 We returned to the parking lot in the same weather we had started in. About 30 degrees and flurrying snow. Solid January day.

Done

Stats:
Time: 3 hours 55 minutes (according to Strava, this included about 40 minutes of stopped time. Considering how many times we had to pause to change clothing, this seems fairly accurate. And this total time includes the stopped time.)
Mileage: 7.3
Elevation gain: 3,647
Challenge level: Moderate/Challenging. The snow takes out some of the intensity, and much is safely below treeline. But this is a hike with some pretty steep sections that would be exhausting for a novice. No fiddly technical bits on this hike, and no major river crossings (although I believe there could be some damp spots in the Spring.) The lack of exposed time on Valley Way is what keeps this in the moderate zone for me- I find that the difficulty/danger is much higher when above treeline. 

Hiking in the Pemigewasset Wilderness: Lincoln Woods/Wilderness/Bondcliff trails.

At some point during the hot, oppressively humid, and generally disgusting summer weather I began to think about fall hiking. Knowing that I was straight out at work until mid October I began to concoct a plan. I concluded that on October 27th, after having a few days to catch my breath post insanity, Eric and I would head to Lincoln to climb Bondcliff (and maybe peak bag Bond if the weather was good.) I locked the day down ages ago, really looking forward to a final long hike in ideal conditions.

Back in July, an October trip to the wilderness seemed great!

I was imagining cooler weather (at the time, and after such a hot summer, I was assuming 50's) amazing foliage, and a day to relax and enjoy the mountains.

Right.

The weather has a way of doing what it wants. And what it wanted to do was snow. And be really cold. And windy.

I tracked the forecast (as one does) and concluded that if we started early, we could reach the peak of Bondcliff and bail before things got ugly. (with 100 km per hour winds scheduled for 7PM there was NO WAY IN HELL that we were risking a late day.) The Lincoln, NH area appeared to be getting mostly rain, and it looked like we might see a bit of snow on our return trip to Maine.

Wishing to get an early start, and not really relishing the notion of yet another 1:30AM wake up time, we drove to Lincoln and stayed the night before. We love the "off" season, because it makes staying over a reasonable, and affordable option.
I avoided watching the 18 inning Sox game, and we awoke (somewhat exhausted) at 3:30 AM (basically when people were finishing up drinking beer/watching the game, and switching to drinking coffee/getting ready for the first day of the Maine deer hunting season.)

The weather was just fine. 33 degrees. No precipitation. No wind.
We drove to the Lincoln woods visitors center in the dark, paid our $5 to park with the other 3 cars, and made our way to the trailhead. The place was deserted. (just the way we like it!) But also not a day to get ruined out on the trail, and hope for other hikers to wander by and offer aid. So, with our safety first mindset firmly in place, off we headed into the dark.

The suspension bridge over the Pemigewasset River

And were immediately warned about the bothersome bear. (clearly, this photo was taken on the return trip...)

Watch out

Armed with our usual headlamps and such, we struck off on the Lincoln Woods trail for 2.9 miles. It was BONE FLAT, and we covered this section in less that an hour. It was a great way to warm up, and to figure out our layering strategy to stay dry/warm throughout this long, flat section of trail.

Typical dark start. 

Honestly, this was basically a walking path. Later in the day, despite the weather, we saw many usual walkers, families, and children strolling along this path. (so. very family friendly.)
This trail is an old railbed, which means you'll be seeing a lot or railroad ties, ironware, as well as remnants of old logging camps. When we made our return trip in the daylight, it was definitely interesting to look around and take in the history (although I'm a bit concerned that when we do the Pemi loop at some point, that we might all die of boredom during the miles of endless flat!!)

After the 2.9 initial miles, you go over a suspension bridge and the trail is no longer very bike friendly (or, bike legal.) The trail, at that time becomes the Wilderness Trail (with zero fanfare) and while it narrows slightly, is still completely flat. We really motored this whole section, averaging over 3 MPH (this would be a very easy section to run. but we carry too much stuff.)

We did have a bit of trouble finding the junction where the Bondcliff trail veers left around mile 4.8.

It would be helpful to have this trail marker where the trail turns left. But nope. (so don't turn left when you see this sign!!)

We came to what appeared to be a stream crossing, and, with our eyes being drawn across the brook to a "no camping" sign (very reflective off the headlamps) we crossed the icy stone brook (where I promptly slipped, dunked my whole foot, and had to do a hasty sock change.)
After puttering about for a bit, and consulting the map, we turned around. Thanks to the increasing daylight we were then able to see the sharp left turn (and the very, very faint light blue blazes that would continue to appear *sporadically* for the remainder of our trip.)

After that little misstep, we continued without issue. I will say though, that this stretch of trail was not well marked at all, at least to the more casual observer (which I am not, as I do not wish to become lost in the woods.) The trail was heavy with fallen leaves, and in some places you really needed to be quite observant about where you were going. Probably solid advice, no matter where you are hiking.


There were a couple miles of winding, very wooded trail with some fairly dry stream crossings. I imagine these could be problematic in seasons with snow melt, or heavy rain.

One of many stream crossings

Compared to what we have come to expect in the Whites, there were few rocks. (don't get me wrong. There were some. But nothing compared to the boulder city of Madison, etc)

Very typical stretch of the lower part of the Bondcliff Trail

Gradually, we began to find the remnants of a fairly big storm that the area had experienced several days before. While some of the White Mountain region got a few feet of snow, there were only a few inches here. And someone had kindly tramped it does for us!

Just a bit of snow

For the most part, despite the continued lack of blazes, the trail was easy to follow. There was a fairly twisting section at one point which may have been challenging to follow, if we were not following footsteps from the previous day. With that one exception, you essentially follow the narrow path.

As we climbed, the snow become deeper but was not at all problematic. It actually managed to nicely pad some of the rocks, which were surely buried underneath! While there were a couple steeper sections of the trail, they were fairly short lived. The hike is more of a slow and steady climb. You have just over 9 miles to reach 4,265 feet so you won't be redlining the whole thing.

Knowing that we were just ahead of a pretty major winter storm, when the wind took on an ominous feel we decided to play it safe and turn around (even though we were sooooo close. We probably had about a half mile climb left to go.) Oh well though, it is better to be the hikers who bail, than the hikers who need the heli evac (and even though Evan was not with us, our summer long "Heli Evac" chant certainly came up once or twice...)

Winter in full effect

The decent was straightforward and flew by. Before we knew it, we turned right onto the Wilderness/Lincoln Woods trail.

One still gets tired after a 17 mile day, even if some of it is flat!

We then proceeded to zip along for the 4.8 miles of bone flat superhighway back to our car.

Bone Flat Superhighway

With about a mile to go, the freezing precipitation began.
On a nice day, we would really have enjoyed the scenery more (that's going to be the plus side of the endless, pin straight, pancake flat final section of the loop. We will at least have things to look at!) We chose not to take the .4 mile detour to see Franconia Falls, which we have heard is fantastic. We basically just put our heads down, and trudged on. (and looked at the bridges, because I love them.)

I've never met a bridge that I didn't want to take a crappy photo of

After going the whole day with zero human sightings, the floodgates opened and we saw a ton of people. Clearly, the Lincoln Woods Trail is very popular for the family walk crowd, even in crap weather, and I imagine it is a complete zoo in the summer. I believe there are some swimming holes in the river, that are very popular.

Much of the Lincoln Woods trail is next to the river

The temperature remained at freezing all day, (although it was much colder when we were close to the summit.) Basically, shit was frozen.

Pretty though

We made it back, uneaten by the bear.

And honestly, with the weather rapidly worsening, we were not disappointed that we had turned back.

You can see the ice on my hat

The drive home was a shit show of epic proportions. The end.

Fucking aggressive 

Stats:
Time: 7 hours 10 minutes (included around 30 minutes of trail location in the dark....)
Mileage: 16.9
Elevation gain: 2,630
Challenge level: Easy/Moderate. The almost 10 miles of flat made the one of the most straightforward hikes we have done. The climb itself was also pretty benign, although we missed the one lone scramble at the end. I suppose I must give this hike a moderate rating due to the distance, and the need to be extra attentive to the route at times. However, I would certainly give it an easy for terrain. You could most definitely bring your non-hiking friends on the first 4.8 miles of this trail with zero issue.